


The Brightest Soul

by Mystical_Light6



Series: Castiel's Daughter [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Baby, Death in Childbirth, F/M, Gen, Human Castiel, Librarian Castiel, NICU visit, Season 9 AU, kinda sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-15 22:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3463643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystical_Light6/pseuds/Mystical_Light6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel loses an important person in his life as he gains someone very special in return. Season 9 AU, human Castiel</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this piece way back in 2013 and let it sit. I would come back to it again every so often and finally finished it last summer. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to share it. I hope you enjoy it.

Dean groaned as he threw himself onto his motel bed, wishing that sleep would find him quickly after such a long and mostly fruitless night.

"Wake me in four, no, five hours," he said as he got comfortable and shut his eyes.

Sam answered with a groan of his own but he at least had the decency to remove his shoes and socks first before laying his head on his sunken and flat pillow.

"Worst. Case. Ever," Dean muttered into his pillow.

And it was brutal. Nothing was worse than when a werewolf, a demon and a human serial killer decided to work together to see who could carve up the most bodies and dump them into the river.

"It should've been obvious that they were roommates," Sam might've said but it mostly just came out as mumbled gibberish.

The two Winchesters said nothing more and almost dozed when Dean's ringing cell phone cut into the silence like a knife against skin.

"Sam, answer the phone."

"Your phone. You answer."

"You're closer."

"Nu-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Bite me, Dean - answer your damn phone."

"Fine." Without opening his eyes, Dean rolled over and grabbed the offending object, pushing the answer button and saying, "Yeah?"

"...Dean..."

Slowly Dean opened one eye followed by the other. "Cas?"

"Dean, please, I need...I need..."

"Cas, what's wrong?"

In a quiet voice, their good friend practically whispered, "There was blood - so much blood..."

"What's goin' on?" Sam asked, now alert and awake as well.

"Where are you, Cas?" Dean asked, more harshly than he'd intended.

"Hospital."

"Which one?"

"One near my house."

"He's at the hospital," Dean related to his brother and right away Sam got up from the bed, same as Dean and they went for the door. "Cas, you gotta keep going man. Where's Taylor?"

"Ta-Taylor...oh..."

Dean listened as Castiel bit back a sob and he stopped Sam with an outstretched hand. "Cas, what happened?" Dean asked for the third time.

"She - early labor. There was blood. So much blood, Dean and, and the doctors said she was hemorrhaging and she's...."

"She didn’t make it," Dean filled in.

Sam shared a look with Dean, fear and sadness in his eyes. Dean knew his own fear was reflected back to him.

"You going to be okay until we can get there, Cas?" Dean asked. Dean looked up to the ceiling and rubbed his hand against his forehead. "Cas?"

"I'll be fine. I'll be waiting your arrival."

"Good. See you soon, man. Hang tight." Dean hung up and groaned.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Taylor didn't make it. Sounds like massive blood loss."

The brothers got into the car and Dean started her up.

"What about the baby?" Sam asked.

"Didn't say."

Dean backed the car out of the lot and drove them back to the direction of home.    

* * *

As soon as the gates of hell were closed permanently, Castiel announced to the shock of the brothers that he wanted out of the life.

"You sure about that, Cas?" Dean had asked.

"I am human from now until it is time for my passing. I want to experience what my life has to offer away from everything I have known for my entire existence. I want a fresh start."

There were still some parts of Castiel that remained fairly angelic according to the brothers. It was something they could just sense from having known him for so many years.

And so the brothers helped Castiel, set him up with a proper identity (with help from Charlie) and got him a place in town that was near enough to the bunker so that he could ride his bicycle over if they had any questions about spells, translations or if they were having a burgers and movie night.

Her name was Taylor Christian, a beautiful, smart woman who had recently moved to Lebanon to work at the elementary school as one of the 3rd grade teachers.

They'd met unsurprisingly at the library. Castiel was working behind the reference desk and this attractive woman walked up to him and asked where the books on the civil war were on the shelves. He led her towards them and then they began to talk about the war.

Castiel was still unused to conversing with people outside of Sam and Dean but for some reason talking to Taylor was just so easy. At the end of Cas' shift, the two of them left together to get dinner where they proceeded to talk more. Castiel was absolutely smitten by her - his first real crush, since Meg. They were half way through dessert when Taylor let something slip.

"I lost my father when I was eleven and my mother right after I turned eighteen. I had two options at that point - I could either go away to school to get my degree or get shipped to my relatives place out in Washington. I picked school, obviously."

"How did your parents pass?" Castiel asked, scooping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"A-a hunting trip. My dad I mean. My mother, um, committed suicide," Taylor stuttered, curling her hair behind her ear.

Castiel knew a tell when he saw one but he wasn't about to let Taylor know that yet. After a minute, Castiel placed his hand gently on top of hers, noticing the charm bracelet on her wrist had many protection sigils. Taylor suddenly laughed to herself and sniffled back her tears. She smiled at Castiel and played with the remaining pie on her plate.

"What about you? Got any family?"

"I have two brothers. I was...adopted."

"Oh. They nice?"

"The best."

"Well that's good. You're a nice guy, Cas."

Over the following weeks, Castiel and Taylor had more meals together and went to visit each other when they had some free time.

"I have to tell you something, Cas. Something that no one else knows."

Castiel turned away from his microwave and Taylor swallowed nervously.

"What is it?"

"I kind of...lied about my parents. My dad died on a hunting trip - hunting a vampire. My mom was killed by a witch's hex. My family has hunted all kinds of monsters and demons and when they died and I was left on my own I wanted to finally live my own life - away from all of that...all that darkness."

Taylor looked tearfully up at Castiel who was holding a bowl of popcorn in his hand which he placed on the small coffee table in front of his couch. Feeling embarrassed, Taylor got up and grabbed her purse, making her way to the door when Castiel spoke again.

"I was not...always human, Taylor."

Slowly Taylor turned around and Castiel took a seat on the couch and patted the seat next to him, letting her know that he wanted to talk some more. He told her everything, about being an angel, having no emotions, no freedom and how that all began to change after he'd met the Winchesters. Taylor knew of them but by name only. They were sort of that infamous.

Somehow (and Castiel refused to question it) Taylor believed him. Every word. That was when Castiel knew he could bring Taylor to meet the brothers. On one burger night, Castiel surprised them by asking if he could please bring a guest.

"I don't know, Cas..."

"Trust me, Dean."


	2. Middle

Castiel was sitting alone in the waiting room with his hands covering his face. Dean looked to his brother before going to sit by his side.

"Cas," he said, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder gently.

Without saying anything, Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean and hugged him, sobbing into his chest.

"It's gonna be okay, man. It'll be okay. We're here now."

"She's gone. Dean, Taylor's gone - and I can't do anything about it..."

"It'll be okay, Cas."

Castiel looked up and sniffled wetly. "How can you say that?"

"Because we're here for you, man. We're family."

"The girl..."

"Girl?" Sam asked, sitting gingerly on the glass table in front of both of them.

Castiel turned to Sam now and continued speaking carefully. "Taylor, she, um, she had a little girl..."

"You have a daughter, Cas? Isn't that - wow." Dean said, looking to Sam.

"Have you gone to see her?" Sam asked when it was obvious Castiel wasn't going to answer.

"They told me that they were placing her in NICU and...she has a, um, lung infection and...I-I think I'm going to lose her too."

"Oh, Cas, no," Sam said, putting a hand to his friend's knee, "you can't think like that."

Castiel chuckled darkly. "It's only fitting though. After everything -"

“No, Cas. No," Dean said sharply, pointing a finger in Cas' face and wordlessly telling him to stop thinking that.

"Excuse me, Mr. Winchester?"

Everyone's head turned to face an older nurse looking uncertainly about the group.

"I think you're up, Cas," Dean said, pulling Castiel up to his feet. The nurse came closer and Castiel held onto Dean as though his life depended upon it.

"Mr. Winchester, your baby girl was born with Group B Streptococcus and pneumonia," the nurse said carefully. "We've got her on the best antibiotics available and are watching her - but I think that at the moment the best thing that she needs is for her father to be by her side."

Dean turned to Castiel and the man was frozen in place.

"Nurse…"

"June."

"June, can I come up with my brother to visit my niece?"

"Of course," the girl said, smiling sympathetically. "That should be fine."

"You hear that, Cas," Dean said quietly, "the best available."

"Is there - is there any paperwork I need to sign for - for Taylor?" Castiel asked, still looking at the floor.

June the nurse grasped him on the shoulder and said, "That can all be taken care of later. Right now there's a little girl that wants to meet her 'Daddy'."

Castiel flinched as though struck but Dean rubbed him gently on the back and looked to Sam, letting him know they'd probably be a little while. His brother nodded and pointed his thumb to the main door, letting him know he'd be going back to Cas' place to get some stuff.

Dean nodded and both he and June led Castiel towards the elevator that would lead him to his baby girl.

* * *

"These are my brothers, Taylor," Castiel said, smiling widely.

"I'm Dean," he said extending his hand which Taylor shook.

"Sam," the other said and gave her an extra special smile.

"Welcome to our humble abode," Dean said, turning while raising his hands and walking down the stairs to the main area of the bunker.

"It's...it's..."

"Yeah," Sam said proudly, "Words kind of fail you right?"

"You guys live here?"

"That we do," Dean said.

Taylor turned to Castiel with a smile. "You didn't tell me you lived in the chamber of secrets."

Embarrassed and hoping to hide the fact that he didn't know what she was talking about, Castiel extended his hand to her and together they walked hand in hand to the main area that was all set up for a burgers and movie night. Sam pulled out Taylor's seat for her and Dean pushed it in for her.

"Such gentlemen," Taylor commented with a cool look towards her boyfriend.

Castiel took his own seat before saying, "You should see them set this up on a laundry day. Clothing optional."

"Hey, we wear boxers," Dean said, bringing the food out to the table.

"S'not like we're nudists. Like some people," Sam added with a poignant look towards their currently mute friend.

"Cas?"

"It was a hex," Castiel said through a clenched mouth.

"Friggin' witches. I'm telling you, Taylor - anything cotton or polyester touched his skin for a week and he'd break out in a rash. We ended up keeping him in his room until we found a bona fide cure," Dean said while passing Sam a plate of cut lettuce and tomatoes.

Impressed, Taylor forked a circle of charred beef onto her sesame-seeded bun and said, "Sounds like one hell of a case."

"Oh you have no idea. Here's how it went down -”

* * *

Taylor had her head resting against Castiel's shoulder and his head was on top of hers. The movie had just finished and Dean turned to find the both of them fast asleep on the couch. Sam had disappeared to his room long ago, claiming he needed to study. Dean hoped to find him fast asleep as well when he went to go check on him in a few minutes. Getting up off of the floor, he walked out of the room for a minute, grabbed a blanket and came back to lay it on top of the two lovebirds. Castiel shifted in his sleep, opening his eyes a little and taking a deep breath in through his nose.

"S'alright, Cas. Go back to sleep."

"Dean, is she good?" Castiel asked, his eyes already shutting.

"Yeah, Cas," Dean said with a smile, "She's good."


	3. Begin Anew

Vacantly, Castiel stared down at the small creature, wriggling around in her swaddled pink blanket. A small tuft of blonde hair just visible under her tiny pink cap.

"Cas?"

Castiel turned to see Dean coming towards him, fighting with his sterile, plastic protection robe before stopping by his side. He looked down at the child and smiled.

"Wow. Cas, she's gorgeous."

Castiel looked down again as well and sighed. "She's all Taylor."

"No, look, I think she's got your eyes. Your ears too."

"I don't see it."

Dean sighed to himself and shook his head. "Cas, come on man. Buck up. You have a daughter to look after now."

"For how long?"

"How long? For forever. Cas, that child has your DNA in her. She's yours."

Castiel looked at him and shook his head sadly. "Dean, I don't know the first thing about children. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help her."

Dean knew that this was going to be hard, nothing ever came easily for any of them. But, they needed to try. "Well, the first thing you can do, is touch her."

"Touch?"

"It’s a thing – I read about it. Hey, don’t look at me like that, I read. Okay, so like -" Dean stuck his clean hands into the holes on the side of the incubator that the baby was inside and after a moment's hesitation Castiel did the same.

Gently, Castiel ran his finger down her exposed cheek and immediately the child's eyes opened. He gasped. She _did_ have his eyes. Unlike his though, which have seen countless battles and numerous tragedies, hers were totally bright and fresh. He was sure that if he could still see it, her soul would be the brightest light in the building.

He shifted in his stance, relaxing. "H-hello," Castiel whispered, "I'm - I'm your father, small one."

He frowned but then felt himself begin to grin - and then the tears came. All of these emotions; they were all hitting at the same time. Happiness. Grief. Relief. It was impossible to differentiate where they were coming from. He looked up to see Dean fighting back tears of his own. As one they looked down at the little girl who looked up at them.

"Did you guys have a name picked out or - ?"

"There were a few but I don't quite think they do her justice."

They stood in silence for a long while after that, Castiel simply staring at the child in quiet awe.

"Cas," Dean said out of nowhere some time later, "I think we'd better get a little rest, okay?"

"What?" Castiel asked, taking his daughter's hand into his own.

"We should head back to your place, Cas. Just for a little while. To sleep. Look, we're both exhausted and it's already six at night and -."

"You can go Dean," Castiel said while looking up. "I just want to...I want to..."

Dean wanted to argue with him but he chose silence instead. Instead, Dean clapped him on the shoulder and stepped away. He walked out the door and, while removing the robe, looked back one more time.

Castiel had grabbed a chair and pulled it up to his daughter's side. He sat down and put his hands inside the incubator once more and smiled.   

* * *

Taylor had been feeling miserable for days.

For five days straight, Cas would wake up to the sounds of retching followed by retching two hours after that and three hours after that and so on until he would finally get her to lie down on their couch so he could take care of her.

 "You should go to the doctor," Castiel said while running his hands through her hair while she laid her head against his shoulder.

"I just went to the doctor's last month for my yearly physical. Maybe I picked up something in the office?"

"Maybe?"

Taylor sat up and gave Cas a kiss on the cheek before reaching behind him to grab her cell phone. She called the school and said she wouldn't be coming in that day before making a doctor's appointment for that afternoon so Cas had nothing else to do but go to work.

"If you feel any worse, then call. Please."

"Of course, my angel."

Castiel hadn't liked it at first when she'd called him that but, after time, it had stuck.

His whole shift, all he kept thinking about was Taylor. So much that he could hardly concentrate on anything else.

"Cas, everything all right?" his co-worker, a grandmotherly type named Joy asked him that afternoon during a lull.

"It's Taylor. She’s been ill for several days and this afternoon she was going to visit a doctor to discover what was wrong.”

Joy tsked and said, "Well I hope it’s nothing serious, Dearie."

That didn't reassure him in the slightest but he finished his long shift and rode his bike back to their place as fast as he physically could. He ran up the stairs and threw open the door and there on the couch sat Taylor, staring at the television she hadn’t turned on.

"Taylor? What's wrong?"

Taylor sniffled and began to laugh and cry at the same time, utterly frightening Castiel.

"What?"

"Cas...I'm pregnant."

* * *

Four days passed by and Castiel stared down nervously at the small clear box with Sam and Dean both poised by his side.

"Okay, is everything done?"

"Yes. All of the paperwork is signed."

Dean nodded. "All right then."

The nurse gently lifted the child into her arms and, carefully, laid her into Castiel's outstretched, waiting ones.

"Here's your little girl, all ready to go home with her daddy."

"The Doctor's sure that she's well enough?" Sam asked.

"Gave the final okay this morning."

The nurse put her hand against the child's head and walked about the room, checking on other little ones in need.

"You ready for this, Cas?" Dean asked.

Castiel nodded and Sam helped him put the baby into the hand-held carrier. Once settled, she opened her eyes and yawned but appeared to be totally comfortable.

Dean grinned. "Okay, that was the most adorable thing ever."

Sam gave his brother a surprised look but said nothing because it was true. "She's going to have all of us wrapped around her tiny finger."

Castiel finished buckling her in and carefully lifted the carrier into his hands.

"May we leave now? I have a funeral to plan."

Dean sniffed and looked away for a second. "You sure you don't want us to handle -"

"She had friends, Dean. Students. A family. We deserve to allow them a means to mourn."

The baby began making little whining noises and Castiel shushed her gently.

"Hush, Maria."

Without answering the brothers questioning looks, he walked straight out of the room, the baby watching them as she went.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who read this. I think I'm going to continue a little more in this verse. Look for something new, hopefully, fairly soon.


End file.
